Solve for $y$ : $-\dfrac{1}{2}=\dfrac{3}{8}y$ $y =\,$
Solution: To divide both sides by $\dfrac{3}{8}$, we multiply by the reciprocal $\dfrac{8}{3}$ : $-\dfrac{1}{2} {\cdot \dfrac{8}{3}}=\dfrac{3}{8}y {\cdot \dfrac{8}{3}}$ To simplify, remember that when the signs are the same, the product is positive. When the signs are different, the product is negative. $-\dfrac{4}{3}=\cancel{\dfrac{3}{8}}y \cdot \cancel{\dfrac{8}{3}}$ $y=-\dfrac{4}{3}$